RISE

Matthew 28:6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

RISE
By Charles H. Perkins

They stretched out His arms and forced Him to the ground.
As they drove the nails through His hands and feet
His flesh made a tearing sound.

They stripped off His clothes and He hung there in shame
As they raised Him from the ground while the crowd mocked His pain.

In the heat of the day as He hung on the cross,
“I thirst” were the words from His weakening voice.

The hours slowly passed and He looked to the sky
And with a loud anguished voice, I heard my Savior cry,
“MY God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?”

The air was quite still and approaching was Death
“It is finished,” He said with His last dying breath.

And I watched as the soldier drove the spear into His side.
From the wound gushed blood and water.
He hung His head and He died.

They took Him from the cross, placed His body in a cave.
With a huge stone they covered the mouth of His grave.

The sun set that day with my hope nearly lost.
I believed in my Lord, but He had died on the cross.

For three days and three nights He lay in the ground
And His followers cried out in disparaging sounds.

In the bright morning sun, the first day of the week
New hope filled my heart when I heard Mary speak.
“He has risen! Our Lord has RISEN!!!”

And my heart filled with joy as He stood in our midst.
And my life was renewed as my sin He dismissed.
He ascended into the sky saying what we must do
And my heart filled with love as He faded from view
HE HAS RISEN!!!

HALLELUJAH